Liverpool are reportedly the strong favourites to sign Brentford forward Kevin Schade, as per TEAMtalk.
Following Mohamed Salah’s departure as a free agent, the Reds decided to reinforce the flanks by purchasing Victor Muñoz and Bradley Barcola this summer.
Moreover, Andoni Iraola currently has Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha to deploy on the wings. However, Chiesa has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League since joining from Juventus.
On the other hand, Ngumoha is still very young and needs time to develop. As a result, it appears the Merseyside club have started exploring options to sign a new winger.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that Liverpool are showing genuine interest in signing Schade and are one of the strong favourites to seal the deal as early as January.
The German has entered the final 18 months of his current contract, and the Bees are keen on keeping hold of him by tying him down to a fresh term. They have already opened talks and are ready to increase his current salary to persuade him to stay.
However, if they eventually fail to reach an agreement with him over the coming months, Keith Andrews’ side are open to letting him leave in mid-season.
Schade to Liverpool
Brentford usually play hardball to sell their big assets and are likely to demand a big fee to sell him, with the forward valued at around £30m by Transfermarkt.
Schade likes to be deployed on the left flank but can also play as a second striker. Furthermore, he can be deployed on the opposite side if needed. The 24-year-old is quick, good in the air and works hard without possession.
After moving to Gtech Community Stadium from Freiburg, Schade initially took time to adapt to the Premier League’s physicality before showing glimpses of his qualities.
He has even enjoyed a promising start this season and has secured his place in Jurgen Klopp’s Germany national team for this September/October international fixtures.
Schade is a Premier League-proven player and could be a shrewd acquisition for the Merseyside club should they eventually manage to secure his services in January or next summer.